THE SPITZ TAKE: A home for six little pigs

Sunday

Apr 13, 2014 at 12:10 AM

By Julia SpitzDaily News Staff

They say everyone has a story. Heisman and Michele Matties' and Scott Miller's other five "boys'' are no exception.Heisman's birth defect - splayed legs that make him look like the iconic college football trophy - puts him at a distinct disadvantage. But although he has trouble getting around on his own, his brother, Broadway Joe, helps him compensate for the handicap.Lil' Bit is blind and deaf, but he, too, has a brother who's got his back. "B'' makes rumbling sounds to communicate so Lil' Bit can feel the vibrations.Minx has survived two surgeries to remove bladder stones. Little Man has respiratory issues.Each also has a story about how he became a member of the family of special-needs and special guinea pigs.In a way, each of those stories is tied to Mac's, although he died before any of the six came to live in their Framingham home with Matties and Miller.Mac's mother was among the 150 guinea pigs surrendered in a 2007 case of animal hoarding in central Massachusetts. "This little guy was in his mother's stomach at the time,'' Matties said, pointing to a photo of Mac, whom they adopted from Nevins Farm, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' site in Methuen.While many shelters can only accommodate dogs and cats, Nevins takes in virtually all species, from large farm animals to exotic birds, as well as critters with special needs."They have dogs come in missing two of their legs, they'll work to get them wheels,'' said Matties. "Some of our guys, some places would have euthanized."They do some huge work there. ... Of the nine (guinea pigs) we've had, five have come from the MSPCA."We would go to the vet and say, 'We got a few more.' She said, 'Oh, guys.' I said, 'They have our number.' She said, 'They certainly do.' ''But "we believe six is what we can handle,'' and Matties and Miller adopt only males so there's no chance of unplanned family expansion.While some of the animals require special diets and medicine, taking care of all six is a fairly orderly process in this household. Hay is kept in one large container on wheels, food pellets in the matching container next to it. The animals are kept in three cages of "bonded pairs.'' Minx and Little Man get fed first; Joe and Heisman are second; B and Lil' Bit third.It doesn't hurt that Matties, who owns No Worries Organizing, is a certified professional organizer. (After Mac's death, she honored his memory by donating her time as an organizer to the Nevins Farm office. A similar project with Nevins is currently in the works.)And it doesn't hurt that the guinea pig - also called "cavy'' for the cavia genus - pairs are bonded to one another in their unique ways.While Minx and Little Man aren't genetic siblings, they have become so empathetic that "when Minxy was sick, Little Man actually lost weight,'' said Matties.With Lil' Bit, "it was originally going to be a foster situation. We were going to be essentially providing hospice'' to the white cavy, born deaf and blind because he's "lethal,'' the term for a guinea pig with significant defects, which can be the result of irresponsible breeding.But Lil' Bit is not only going strong at about 18 months, "wherever you put him, he can figure out the space,'' said Miller. "If you move the bowl (of food), he'll find it."They're basically little hay furnaces,'' Miller said of the animals he has come to adore."I had dogs growing up, and I'd love to have a dog,'' he said, but the couple's work schedules can be erratic."We wanted to make a conscious choice for ourselves and our pets,'' said Matties.Still, both partners, who met thanks to their shared passion for competitive volleyball, caution that while guinea pigs may not require the level of attention a dog does, they need interaction in order to thrive."They're social animals,'' said Matties.Social and, on occasion, sweet."Sometimes his little paw will be right up on Joe when they sleep,'' Matties said of Heisman as he nestled near his brother for an afternoon nap.Julia Spitz can be reached at 508-626-3968 or jspitz@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter at SpitzJ_MW.

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